1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio control transmitter for a model plane, and relates to a method for transmitting directly or indirectly a steering signal from the radio control transmitter for steering a steered object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among the steered objects as radio control models, in particular, a flying object such as an airplane or a helicopter is hard to be controlled, and proficiency is needed for controlling the flying object. Therefore, for allowing a beginner to practice the steering without bringing down the flying object, a radio control transmitter having a trainer function is known.
When using the trainer function, two radio control transmitters are connected to each other with a cable for the trainer function or a wireless communication for allowing the communication for the trainer function.
One of the connected radio control transmitters works as a radio control transmitter for a trainer which is controlled by the trainer, and the other connected radio control transmitter works as a radio control transmitter for a trainee which is controlled by the trainee.
First, when the radio control transmitter for the trainee which is set as a trainer mode is controlled, the radio control transmitter for the trainee sends control data corresponding to a control operation of the trainee to the radio control transmitter for the trainer.
Further, a trainer switch is provided on the radio control transmitter having the trainer function. The radio control transmitter for the trainer can be switched between passive mode and active mode corresponding to the operation of the trainer switch.
On one hand, in the passive mode, the steering data as the trainer signal inputted from the radio control transmitter for the trainee is sent as the steering signal to the steered object from an antenna 7 thereof. Accordingly, in the passive mode, the steered object moves corresponding to a steering operation via the radio control transmitter for the trainee.
On the other hand, in the active mode, the steering data corresponding to the steering operation via the radio control transmitter for the trainer is sent as the steering signal to the steered object. In this case, the steering data corresponding to the trainer signal from the radio control transmitter for the trainee is not sent as the steering signal.
For example, when the trainer makes the trainee practice the steering, the passive mode is selected. Thus, the steering signal corresponding to the steering operation done by the trainee via the radio control transmitter for the trainee is sent to the steered object. Namely, the trainee can steer the steered object.
However, for example, when the trainee steers in the passive mode, suppose that the trainee mistakes the steering operation and the flight condition of the steered object becomes unstable. Alternatively, suppose that there is a situation for doing a highly difficult operation such as a landing operation.
At this time, the trainer switches the trainer switch to switch from the passive mode to the active mode. In this way, even when the trainee operates the radio control transmitter for trainee 1B, the steered object does not respond to the operation. Instead, the steered object only responds to the steering operation via the radio control transmitter for the trainer. Then, in the active mode, for example, the trainer operates so as to stabilize the flight condition, or operates to land the steered object.
In this way, using the trainer function, the trainee can safely practice the steering without bringing down the steered object or without a bad landing.
Further, in the radio control system for a model, one channel is assigned to each individual control object (also called as function). For example, when the steered object is a flying object, aileron, elevator, and the like are typical as the function. One channel is assigned to each of these functions. Such a channel assignment is referred to as a channel order.
The steering signal sent from the radio control transmitter is composed of control amount data obtained by the operation which is assigned to each channel. The radio control transmitter encodes a signal attained corresponding to the operation with respect to an operational element as the control amount data, generates the steering signal by assigning the control amount data to an appropriate channel, and sends the steering data to the steered object (a radio control receiver).
At the steered object side, correspondence relationship between the channels and the control objects such as servo is set according to the established channel order. In this way, at the steered object side, an appropriate control object is driven based on data in each channel of the steering signal received by the radio control receiver. Thus, the steered object is moved according to the operation of a pilot at the radio control transmitter side.    [Patent Document 1] JP, A, H07-31751
Conventionally, it is a condition of the trainer function that the radio control transmitter for trainer and the radio control transmitter for the trainee have the same channel order. Namely, in the trainer function, the number n of CH1 to CHn data in the trainer signal sent from the radio control transmitter for the trainee directly becomes CH1 to CHn data in the steering signal sent from the radio control transmitter for the trainer.
However, in the current condition, the setting of the channel order varies by types of the radio control transmitter. Further, currently, the radio control transmitter of which channel order is voluntarily changed by the user operation becomes known for correspond individually to the steering style of each operator. Accordingly, even if the type of the radio control transmitter is the same, the channel order may be varied by the radio control transmitter.
Suppose that using two radio control transmitters having different channel orders as the radio control transmitters for trainer and for trainee, the trainer function is performed. Normally, the steered object has the channel order corresponding to the radio control transmitter for the trainer. In this case, in the passive mode, the radio control transmitter for the trainer sends the steering signal according to the channel order of the trainer signal from the radio control transmitter for the trainee. Then, for example, the trainee intends to control the aileron, however, other than the aileron of the steered object is moved, and the steered object cannot be controlled according to the trainee's plan.
For avoiding such an inconvenience, for example, if at least one of the radio control transmitters for trainer and for trainee can change the setting of the channel order, one of the channel orders may be changed to be the same as the other channel order. However, in reality, because the channel order change operation is very complicated and troublesome, it is a substantial burden for a user to operate this channel order change operation whenever using the trainer function.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to resolve the trouble of the channel order difference between the radio control transmitter for the trainer and the radio control transmitter for the trainee when using the trainer function of such as the radio control system for a model.